Shoe stretcher



Aug. 16, 1932.

c. B. KOSTERS 1,871,854

SHOE STRETCHER Filed Jan. 29, 1931 I; AQ

. J/VM/m 63%576 5 Patented Aug. 16, 1932 STATES CLEMENTS B. KOSTERS, OF BUFFALO, NEW YORK SHOE srnnrcnnn Application filed. January '29, 1931. Serial No. 512,025.

This invention relates to improvements in shoe stretchers.

The objects of this invention are to provide a shoe stretcher of improved construction which is made of two parts formed to rock on each other so as to eliminate the necessity for a pivotal bearing between the parts and the resulting wear on such bearing; also to provide a shoe stretcher with means for exerting the necessary stretching force at a distance from the side of the stretcher where the application of this force is not interfered with by the side of the shoe; also to improve the construction of shoe stretchers in other respects hereinafter specilied.

In the accompanying drawing:

Fig. 1 is a side elevation of a shoe stretcher embodying this invention;

' Fig. 2 is a top plan view thereof;

Fig. 3 is a fragmentary section thereof, on line 3-3, Fig. l;

Fig. 4 is a section thereof on line ll, Fig. 2;

Fig. 5 is a transverse section of ashoe stretcher and a shoe into which thestretcher has been in erted.

The shoe stretcher embodying this invention which is shown in the acompanying drawing is made of two parts A and B which are arranged side by side and the forward portions of which may be inserted into the forward portion of a shoe. The two parts have rearwardly and upwardly extending arms 5 and 6 which when the forward portions of the shoe stretcher are close together, as shown in 2, diverge rearwardly.

In shoe stretchers of this kind as heretofore made, the two parts A and B wereconnected by a pivotal bearing. This connection was, therefore, subject to considerable wear and in some cases the pivotal connection is subject to heavy pressures, which result in damage to the pivotal connection, which in turn would render the shoe stretcher useless. In my present shoe stretcher, I have entirely eliminated the usual pivotal hearing, which is subject to pressure when the shoe stretcher is in use and have arranged the two parts so that each rocks or swings in contact with the other so that the entire pressure is borne directly by the two parts themselves. It will be evident that when pressure is applied to the outer ends of the diverging arms to bring these arms together, the two parts of the shoe stretcher will rock relatively to each other at the portion where the inner ends of the diverging arms and the rear ends of the forward portions of the parts A and B meet. This rocking causes the forward portions to separate and thus stretch the shoe. Consequently, with my construction, no pivotal bearing between the two parts is required but means of any suitable construction are employed for holding the two parts in operative relation, and these means are so constructed as not to interfere with the rocking of the parts upon each other. In the par ticular construction illustrated, the means for connecting the two parts of the shoe stretcher include a screw 8 which is fastened into one of the parts, and which has a head 9 provided with a slot 10 extending lengthwiseof the screw. The other part B of the shoe stretcher is provided with a recess 11 into which the head 9 of the screw may enter, and a pin 12 secured thereto which eX- tends crosswise through the recess 11 and through the slot 10 of the head of the screw 8, as clearly shown in Figs. 3 and 4. This connection holds the two parts of the shoe stretcher in correct relation to each other and by providing the head of the screw with the slot 10, the rocking of one of the parts relatively to the other is not interfered with, and the connection is subjected to no strain other than that necessary to keep the two parts in correct relationship to each other.

The two parts of the shoe stretcher are preferably held in their normal position, as shown in Fig. 2, by means of a spring 14:, the ends of which extend into holes in the .inner faces of the two arms 5 and 6, and

which acts to press the arms apart. Other means for this purpose may beemployed.

In order to separate the forward parts of the shoe stretcher to stretch a shoe, a clamping screw is preferably provided, by means of which the two arms 5 and 6 of the stretcher can be forced toward each other. Any suitable or desired means for moving these parts toward each other may be employed. In the particular construction shown, a screw 16 having a head 17 extends through suitable holes in the arms 5 and 6 of the shoe stretcher near the outer ends of the arms, and if desired, the screw 16 may be pivotally held on one of the arms by means of a pin 18 passing through a. portion of this arm and through a suitable aperture in the screw 16. The other end of the screwextending beyond the other arm of the shoe stretcher is engaged by means of a nut, so that by turning the-nut the arms 5 and 6 may be adjusted relatively to each other. as heretofore made, these nuts were generally in the form of wing nuts, the wings of which were located close to one of the diverging arms of the shoe stretcher, and this made the turning of the nut difficult, for the reason that the leather of the upperpart of the shoe interfered with the turning of the nut. In order to overcome this objection, I have provided a nut 20 which is formed on one end of a tubular member 21, the other end of which is provided with a cross bar 22 or other handle for turning the tube 21 and nut 20. The provision of this tube results in two advantages, in the first place, the handle portion 22, by means of which the nut is turned is located a considerable distance from the side of the shoe, so that the leather of the upper part of the shoe will not interfere with the turning of the nut, and in the second place, the portion of the screw which extends outwardly beyond the nut will enter into the tube 21 which. acts as a guard for this portion of the screw. In order to have the stretcher operate easily, it is generally desirable to use some lubricant on the screw, and by confining the part of the screw extending beyond the nut in the tube, the soiling of the shoe by contactwith the screw is entirely avoided.

24 represents a metal wear platearranged between the arm 6 of the shoe stretcher and the nut 20. This wear plate distributes the pressure applied to the arm 6 by the nut 20 over an extended surface of the wood or other material of which the arm 6 may be made, and thus prevents damage to the arm of the stretcher. This. wear plate is particularly desirable for the reason that when the parts of the stretcher are in the posit ons shown in Fig. 2, the nut20 bears at one side only of p the wear plate, and when the arms 5 and 6 swing nearer to each other, the pressure of the nut 20 acts on the opposite side of the wear plate. This action without the use of the wear plate would result in severe pressures being placed upon very restricted areas on the outer surface of the arm 6, which would quickly destroy this portion of the stretcher. Since the friction between the wear plate and the arm 6 is greater than In shoe stretchers of this kind between the wear plate and nut, the wear place will not turn relatively to the arm 6, and therefore, does not wear on the arm and need not be secured thereto.

The stretcher described has the advantage that it is usable in connection with a large number of different sizes of shoes. I have found that by the use of an insert in larger sizes of shoes, the shoe stretcher can be used with a still greater range of sizes. This insert is preferably in the form of a plate 25 which may be inserted into the bottoms of shoes of larger sizes, as illustrated in Figs. 1

g and 5. This plate may be of any suitable or desired material, and may be slightly curved as shown in Fig. 1 to conform with the shape of a shoe.

. By the use of a plate of the kind described, the range of sizes on which the stretcher can be used is so increased that only two sizes of stretchers need be made, one for ladies shoes and one for mens shoes.

I claim as my invention:

1. A shoe stretcher, including a forward portion formed to be inserted into a shoe and divided lengthwise into two parts, said parts having rearwardly diverging and upwardly extending arms and having contacting sur faces intermediate of their ends formed to rock upon each other, means acting on said arms to rock said parts on said contacting surfaces to separate the forward portions thereof, a screw secured to one of said parts and having a head provided with a slot extending lengthwise of said screw, said other part having a recess into which the head of said screw extends, and a pin extending through said recess and said slot and secured to said recessed part to connect said parts and permit the rocking of said parts on each other.

2. A shoe stretch-er, including a forward portion formed to be inserted into a shoe and divided lengthwise into two parts, said parts having rearwardly diverging and upwardly extending arms, a screw extending through said arms, and a nut engaging said screw and forming a part of a tubular member, one end of which extends laterally of said stretcher out of contact with said screw and into which the portion of said screw, which extends outwardly beyond said nut, enters, said tubular member having means at its outer end to turn said nut.

CLEMENTS B. KOSTERS. 

